2012 Husqvarna TE250 vs. 2012 Suzuki DR-Z400 vs. 2013 Yamaha WR250R

“You have to be a dedicated dirtbike rider to justify the $1,400 price increase the TE demands over the Suzuki,” Tom states matter-of-factly.

Put a different way, if you’re looking for the dual-sport motorcycle that is biased toward the street side of things, yet is at home and capable where the pavement ends, the Suzuki DR-Z400S is the bike here that doesn’t over-commit to one extreme at the cost of the other.

Where the DR-Z is the political moderate, the Husqvarna TE250 is unabashedly an extremist. The Husky has an agenda, and that is to get to the trails ASAP. While the DR-Z is a competent off-roader, in the hands of a skilled dirtbike rider, the lightweight, athletic TE250 will sprint away like a March hare, doing high-flying tailwhips along the way, and the DR-Z rider likely won’t see the TE again until the trail ends.

The Husky is a capable motorcycle on the street; the same traits that make it such a good dirt bike (light weight, quick steering, stable chassis, excellent brakes, etc.) also make it entertaining on pavement. The difference between the Suzuki and Husqvarna’s street worthiness comes down to a matter of which bike is more comfortable for the rider to spend time aboard for extended paved mileage. That bike is the DR-Z400S. But we knew this going in; no grand revelations have unfolded during this comparison of the obvious.

Yamaha’s WR250R was sorely missed as a real competitor, rather than one imagined. But we have enough factual info on the WR to know that it falls somewhere in the middle of this group.

However, experience with all three bikes tells us that the Yamaha, while fairly capable as a streetbike, doesn’t have the Suzuki’s extra horsepower and torque, and its 20-something pounds weight savings over the DR isn’t significant enough that most riders could discern an advantage. An 0.8-inch lower seat than the DR-Z might be helpful to some riders, but the WR isn’t quite as cozy for the rider.

The WR will be easier to manage when in the dirt, helping justify its $500 premium over the DR-Z400S, but the difference won’t be huge to anyone who does only mild off-roading. And now that we know the Husqvarna is the off-road king in this group, for the dirtbike junkie, the $900 gap from the Yamaha to the Husqvarna is a no-brainer for getting the best dirt bike here, the TE250.

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